Hard Time Don't Last Forever
by ButterflyColie
Summary: Shikon no Tama is complete. Kagome and Inuyasha share one night of passion and then haven't seen each other in a few years. Now new secrets and new adventures. Inuyasha most now protect those he loves dearly to him. Change old titled and some others.
1. Prologue

**I moved this story over to this account. Mostly because I don't have that other email anymore. **

**I plan on updating this after I go through each chapter to make sure everything is good. I did a little update to this. One thing the titled is different for this one, the old titled was Through hard and sad times end in happiness.**

**Right now I have up to fourteen chapters done but I won't go further unless at else one person wants it.**

**Hope you all enjoy.**

_**Prologue**_

The sun was setting behind the trees as Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kaede were all standing outside Kaede's hut. They had all managed to get this far, to the end. It had been a long few days, and there was silence in the air; no one knew exactly what to do or say.

It was Kagome who spoke first. "Everyone, I-I thinks that I'll have to go home. I've been thinking and thinking, and all I can come up with is that if I were to stay here, I would miss my family. My mother needs me, as does Souta and Grandpa."

Kagome's eyes began to glaze over as she tried to keep the tears back. "But, as long as I'm able, I plan to come back often. I want to see you all, and I want to see what you become. If I can without the Shikon no Tama, that is..."

Sango took a step towards Kagome to put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course we understand that you need to go back. But if you don't come and visit us, well, you probably don't want this Demon Hunter after you, right? I'm pretty tough to beat, you know."

Kagome smiled at Sango's words. She knew that Sango was only trying to cheer her up a bit. She pulled herself together. "No, I wouldn't want to mess with you, would I? Anyway, I know that it might be a little rude, but I want to take a walk by myself. If you guys would go back inside? I need to do some thinking."

Kaede nodded, understanding Kagome's words. There were things she needed to find out for herself. "Come on all of you. Let's get inside."

Kagome looked over her shoulder and saw Kaede taking the others inside.

However, what Kagome didn't notice was that Inuyasha wasn't among them anymore...

As Kagome walked through the woods, she began thinking to herself... [_What'll I do now? What about Inuyasha? I haven't talked to him about anything...going home and all that. I wonder how he took my decision then...I know that he's said that he wants to be near me, and that he cares for me, but, we never did find out what happened to Kikyou after Naraku was defeated. I know Inuyasha still has to have a place for her in his heart. It would be too much for me to ask him to come with me. No matter how much I want to...I don't even know if I can come back since I won't have the Shikon no Tama anymore, AH! Why does everything have to be so confusing?_]

Without thinking she uttered her final thoughts aloud. "Inuyasha...do you have any idea? Why don't you ever..."

"Why don't I ever what?" Inuyasha jumped down from the tree he had been sitting in. After he heard Kagome's words about going home, he had needed to get away. Since then, he'd been thinking, watching the sky slowly grow darker as it filled with stars.

After the initial shock, Kagome turned away from him. If she were to look in his eyes, or even touch his arm, she would break into tears. Inuyasha and Kagome had never had many chances alone together, and after Kagome had said she'd wanted to be near him, near him loving him, things had been going slowly. They had had other things to worry about, and when it came to their own lives and feelings, well, there hadn't been much time for it.

"Kagome?"

Inuyasha crossed the short distance between them, stopping right behind her. He then took her by the shoulders, and turned her towards him. "Kagome? What's wrong? Why aren't you talking? Why'd you turn away from me?"

Once Inuyasha had turned her towards him, Kagome had not taken her eyes away from his gaze. Kagome couldn't keep her strong appearance up any longer, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's face was of surprise and concern for the young woman in front of him. He gently wiped the tear off of her cheek.

"Talk to me, Kagome."

Even though her throat felt as if it had closed up, she managed to say a few words in a near whisper. "Inuyasha...I...us...I love you, but, I have to go home. I don't know what to do."

Kagome's tears started to fall freely, and she buried herself into Inuyasha's chest. It was so warm and safe whenever she did that. If she could always be like this, she would never ask for another thing in her life. Touching, feeling and breathing in everything about Inuyasha made her heart ache even more.

"Kagome..." He said in a gentle voice. She was crying...for them? Inuyasha closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. He had to say and do something. He didn't want to lose the person that had won his heart and made him whole again.

"Kagome. You've got me, and I won't lose you. You should know this by now! Why don't you ever say anything' before hand? Huh?"

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha again. "You can say that...but could you really live in my world? Give up everything you've known, and hide who you really are from the rest of the world? It's too much for me to ask for..."

Kagome looked away from him, staring at the tree next to her; anything to avoid meeting his eyes at the moment. She felt like she should run away, just so she didn't have to hurt him anymore.

"You know, sometimes you think too much."

Inuyasha gently took Kagome's chin in his left hand. He made her look at him.

"I love you and I'm not going to lose you." Before Kagome had a chance to say a word, he kissed her. It was more than a kiss. He put his heart and soul into that kiss. This was his Kagome, and nothing was going to change that. Why did she have to think of such stupid frivolities sometimes?

Kagome was at first startled by Inuyasha's kiss, but melted into it, the two of them expressing themselves to the other. She put her right hand into his hair, and other around his neck. This was what she had wanted, nothing more.

After much convincing of himself, Inuyasha pulled away. He needed to tell Kagome something important.

"Kagome, listen to me. I love you. I haven't said it before tonight, but it's true. I don't ever want to be away from you again. I will go with you to your world. If it means I've got to face challenges, then fine. I'm not going to lose you, have you got it yet?"

Kagome was the happiest she had ever been in her life at his words. She nodded, and then whispered into his ear. "My heart is bursting at those words. Please, in case anything happens, I don't want to give up this moment, or my chance with you. Please, love me completely. I want to show you that I am completely yours, and I won't have to ever regret not being with you."

She then looked into his eyes, her eyes reflecting the truth to what she had said. She didn't want to be so forward, but Kagome had had so much happen to her in the last year that she didn't want to give up a chance open to her again. Anything and everything could happen, and she wanted to be loved completely by Inuyasha. Her heart, her mind and her body yearned for it.

"Kagome, are you sure? I don't want to ever hurt you or seem to take advantage of you. I've wanted you more than anything..."

He stroked the side of her face, not looking away from her eyes.

She nodded. "Inuyasha..."

She played with his hair that hung down the front, over his shoulders. Kagome had always wondered why his hair stayed like that, but figured it had something to do with being a half demon, but soon she didn't have time to think of such things. Inuyasha picked Kagome off her feet, and started carrying her to a safer, more private place. The last thing he wanted was for Miroku or Sango to come and find them. Even the thought of Miroku seeing his beloved Kagome naked was enough to make Inuyasha insanely jealous. His father's inherited canine instincts were starting to take effect. Inuyasha had to take care of and defend Kagome. She was going to be his mate, for life if he had any say in it.

He laid her gently on the ground. He settled himself right next to her, and brushed her face with the back of his hand. He kissed her neck gently before kissing her sweet lips. Inuyasha and Kagome's bodies started to react to the sensations and desires they both wished. Kagome pulled away for just enough time to pull her shirt over her head, and slide off her skirt. She lay naked under the moon.

"You're beautiful, my dear Kagome. So beautiful..." He had seen her naked body several times by chance, but nothing compared to now. She was more than willing to show him her body, and wanted him to see her. She was his, and now he would make sure she knew it.

He lay down on top of her, and kissed her lips once more before the two of them started to take advantage of one another's bodies.

The moon shone down on Inuyasha and Kagome. The two of them were in their own world, and after enduring a year of pain, anguish, hurt, surprise and a dozen other emotions, things looked to have a peaceful ending.

Miroku was sitting with Sango on the veranda of Kaede's porch. Shippou was asleep in front of the fire pit, and Kaede was tending the fire next to him. The two of them stared up into the sky.

It was Miroku who spoke first. "Sango, don't you think Inuyasha and Kagome are late? It's been over four hours since we saw either one of them. Aren't you worried?"

Sango smiled before looking at the lecherous, perverted, yet charming monk next to her. "No, I'm not worried. I don't know if you ever realized it before or not, but the two of them hardly ever get a chance to be alone. Being with friends is good, but being alone with someone you love is even better."

Her voice became real soft before she said, "Of course you wouldn't notice, would you?"

Miroku's eyebrows went up, and his face took on a puzzled looked. "What?"

Sango sighed. "Never mind. Maybe someday you'll realize what I'm saying. That is, when you stop harassing and taking advantage of every girl that comes your way!"

Sango stood up, and stomped into the hut. Sometimes she didn't know why she bothered. Miroku seemed to take notice of every girl **except**her. She didn't count his occasional feeling of various parts of her body either. At any rate, Sango hoped Kagome was having a better chance than she at love. But then again, Sango knew that pair would profess their love soon enough, if not already.

The next morning Kagome woke up in Inuyasha's arms. She didn't know when the two of them had fallen asleep, but she noticed Inuyasha's robe covering the both of them. She smiled. He must have woken up first, and put it over them to keep the cold out.

She stared at Inuyasha's face for a long time. She began to play with the hair that had fallen across his forehead. She was putting some of his hair back into place when she noticed Inuyasha hugging her tightly, right before he opened his eyes.  
"'Morning', Kagome." He kissed her forehead as a morning greeting.

"Good morning, Inuyasha. I hope I didn't wake you up? I don't know why, but I wanted to touch your face and hair, so I was putting it back in place. I wouldn't know why it got so ruffled, now would I?" She gave a playful smile.

"No, no, you wouldn't know, now would you?" He kissed her neck and then her lips.

"Anyway, we'd better go back. Who knows what they're thinking..."

Inuyasha started to sit up when Kagome tightened her grip, and held him close.  
"Kagome? What's a matter?"

She held onto him even tighter. "I don't want this to end. I feel as if this is the only time I'll ever get to be like this."  
Kagome realized she could be seen as acting childish, but she had some kind of feeling about it all; she didn't want to ever be separated from him again.

"C'mon, don't worry about stuff like that. You know I won't go far from you again unless I'm forced to. Remember, I love you."  
Kagome looked up at his face, and loosened her grip. Inuyasha began to sit up, and she did the same. As Kagome pulled on her shirt, she said, "I know you do. I'm being silly, that's all."

After a few more minutes, both of them were dressed. Kagome took Inuyasha's hand, and started to pull him along. "C'mon! I'm **starving**, and I'm sure you are too!"

"Yeah, yeah, but you don't have to pull my arm off! Geez, if this is the way you are when you're hungry, I'd hate to see you be mad and hungry at the same time..."

"What was that? You may just get the chance if you don't hurry up!"

The two of them started bickering, but it was nothing but harmless fun. Both of them enjoyed doing it, and neither one would ever take the words seriously.

Inuyasha and Kagome had made it back to Kaede's hut, and no one commented on the pair's disappearance for the night. Only Miroku had looked like he had wanted to ask, but a slight slap on the arm from Sango, along with one of her looks, stopped him from doing so.

The morning passed peacefully, with everyone talking and enjoying himself or herself. But, during that time, Kagome had stated that she would go home today. She didn't know how long it would be before she could come back because of all the things her life back home required, but, she promised to come if she was able. Not having the Shikon no Tama in her possession made Kagome doubt that she could come back. Of course she wished with her heart that she could.

No one had been too surprised when Inuyasha said he was going with her. Everyone had pretty much expected that of him anyway.

As the daylight started to dim a bit, Kagome told them she should go now. A bit reluctantly, they all went to the Bone-eater's

Well and stood in silence. No one really knew what to say.

Kaede decided to speak up first. "Kagome, Inuyasha. You have been through a lot to finish what my older sister started. I thank you for that, and I hope from now on you will have a happy life. You deserve it, and as long as I'm around, please visit me as well."

Shippou spoke up next. He jumped on Kagome's shoulder, and as he hugged her head he said, "Don't forget us! We'll miss you."

"I won't forget you, Shippou...or anyone else. You guys are my friends. I trust you all completely." She gave a caring look to all of those around her. She had never had such great friends in her entire life. These were people she would trust her life with.

They finished saying their good-byes to one another with Sango and Kagome even beginning to cry at one point. They all promised to see each other again, and they would never forget one another, as long as they lived.

Kagome found it hard, but she moved towards the well, taking Inuyasha's hand. She turned her head, and said, "Until later guys. I'll be back, and don't have too much fun without me!"

Inuyasha threw a parting over his shoulder, and the two looked at each other.

They nodded and jumped into the well together, still holding hands.

End of the Prologue.

I hope you enjoy this. Please let me know. Or if I should even bother going on.


	2. Chapter 1

**Here is the next chapter for you all. **

**Chapter One: Sakura**

Petals of the cherry blossoms fell as Kagome watched the clouds in the sky. It was already April again. Time seemed to pass so quickly...

Kagome put aside her thoughts and went back to sweeping the stone path in front of her. She still lived with her family at the Higurashi Shrine, which meant that she always had responsibilities to fulfill. Some years ago Kagome had been faced with a decision, and she had decided not to go to college, but to stay at the shrine instead. She didn't mind at all. If only...

However, at that moment Kagome heard a scream, followed by a child crying. She put down her broom, and raced to the side of the house.

"Mommy! It hurts!" A little girl said through her tears, which were filling her light, golden brown eyes.

Kagome smiled and kneeled in front of the girl. "Well, Sakura, that's what happens when you fall down. Come here, mommy give you a hug and it'll feel all better."

Just as Kagome opened her arms wide, Sakura jumped into them, and slowly started to calm down as Kagome stroked her head.

"Sakura, did you see the cherry blossoms? They're starting to fall off already! Did you want to go for a walk through the woods? I know you like to sneak out there whenever you get the chance." Kagome paused long enough to playfully mirror her daughter's astonished face. "Yes, I know about that. You can't get anything past a mommy, and you should know that. So, how about it?"

Sakura nodded, wiping the last of her tears away. Her mommy seemed to know everything, but never really punished her for it. Maybe it was because she was the only child. Sakura never thought about it too much. Her mom loved her, which was enough.  
Kagome smiled, brushing Sakura's light, baby pink and raven hair away from her face. She had never imagined the pink highlights from her own hair would give her a pink-raven-haired child, but then again... '_No. Put it aside already, Kagome_'...

"Alright, just let me change and we'll go, okay?" Kagome said as she put her daughter down. She grabbed Sakura's hand and started for the house.

...

Kagome could hear Sakura in the living room, watching TV as she waited for her. Sakura was safe, and even if Kagome had looked like she hadn't been bothered by Sakura's crying, well, the truth was that every little thing concerned her. If anything ever happened to her daughter, Kagome didn't know what she would do.

As she changed her clothes, and pulled back her hair, she began thinking to herself. _'Well, it's almost Sakura's birthday again. Yet another year...I wonder if she'll start to wonder where her father is. She's never asked about it before, probably because of Souta and Grandpa being here, but I'm still not sure what to tell her. Inuyasha...'_

It had been nearly six years since Kagome and Inuyasha had jumped into the Bone-eater's well together. However, once Kagome had realized that she was alone in her world, she had become hysterical. She had tried everything she could think of at the time to go back to the world on the other side of the well. She didn't want to be alone, nor did she want to leave Inuyasha alone again since she would be the second important person to him to do so. It had been her younger brother, Souta, who had found her screaming and crying at the bottom of the well. If Kagome hadn't been so exhausted from crying, she probably would've put up more of a fight. But, since she had been exhausted and able to do nothing else, Souta and Grandpa had helped her out of the well and into the house.

For the next few months Kagome tried every chance she had to go back to the Warring States Period, but it was all for nothing. She would often sit at the edge of the well, close her eyes, and relive her memories of Inuyasha and her friends. She wasn't able to go back, and the longer she was apart from Inuyasha, the more her heart had ached. Because Kagome had been in the Warring States Period, she had missed junior high graduation, as well as the entrance exams for high school. Instead of high school, she had spent the time helping out her family, but after two months, Kagome started to wonder about what was wrong with her. She knew that girls could be irregular until they reached about the age of 20, so Kagome took no heed of missing one of her periods, but as she missed the second, and then the third, she knew she needed to see a doctor.

When Kagome saw the doctor, she told her what Kagome had already expected. She was pregnant, nearly three months. The doctor told her that if she didn't get out of the depression she had been in for months, it could damage her baby's health as well as her own. Kagome hadn't paid attention to the rest of the doctor's recommendations because her head had been filled with thoughts about her baby. It was hers and Inuyasha's baby that was growing inside of her. As she had unconsciously put her hand across her stomach, Kagome had smiled for the first time in three months.

Her daughter had come to be the best medicine for Kagome and her broken heart. She had chosen the name Sakura, which in English means "cherry blossoms." In Japan, when the cherry blossoms bloom in the beginning of April, it signifies a new beginning, a new start. Because her and Inuyasha's daughter had been born in April, and because Sakura had become a new start for Kagome, she had chosen the name. Even though Kagome always missed Inuyasha with all her heart, because she had had Sakura, proof of their love for each other, she had managed to live an almost happy life.

As Kagome finished tying up her hair, she smiled at a memory. She remembered the day Sakura had been born. Not only had she been ecstatic that her daughter was born healthy, but she had been relieved when she had seen that Sakura appeared to be a normal human from her appearance. Since Kagome knew that Sakura would be one-fourth demon, she had hoped that Sakura wouldn't inherit her father's ears. The last thing she would've needed would have been trying to explain that!

Realizing she had been taking a long time to get ready, Kagome grabbed her purse, and headed for the living room.

"You ready, dear? Sorry mommy took so long to get ready!"

Sakura nodded her head, and a smile appeared on her face. "You always take so long to get ready! When I grow up, I'm never going to take that long! Then I'll have more time to play!"

"Oh, just wait until you do grow up, Sakura. Then you'll want to take a long time to get ready. I'll end up waiting for you!" Kagome's smile mirrored Sakura's. She had been told many time that despite Sakura's light baby pink and raven hair they most definitely looked like mother and daughter.

Kagome shouted, "Anyways, race you to the door, and then to the woods entrance!"

Sakura's face lit up, and the two started running.

...

Sango looked over at Miroku, who was reading on the veranda, next to her. "Hey, Miroku, dear, when do you think he's going to come back? He always goes on his adventures, but, this time he's been gone a lot longer than normal."

Miroku stopped reading in order to answer Sango. "Well, I don't really know. He seems to disappear on a whim and return spontaneously. Why do you ask, my dear Sango?"

Sango sighed, and then laid her head on Miroku's shoulder. "Well, I don't know, really. I just have a feeling like he should be here. And for more than the simple reason Shinhaku and Yumemi love him to death. Inuyasha hasn't been the same since that time when Kagome went home. Being torn from someone he loved for the second time in his life really hurt him. I also wonder what happened to Kagome...she would have come back if she could have I know it. Why..."

He put an arm around her shoulder and gave Sango a hug. "If I knew the answer to that, my darling Sango, then life would be all too easy. Inuyasha will surely find a way to reach Kagome's world again. He has been trying all he could for the last five or six years."

She looked up to him, and smiled. "You're right. I always worry too much, huh?" She was about to kiss her husband when they both heard a set of voices.

"Yumemi, you're such a baby! Why've you crying?" It was a little boy's taunting voice.

The second voice was that of a little girl. "Shinhaku, you're so mean! You always pick on me! I'm going to tell mama on you!"

Miroku whispered, "It seems that they're at it again. I believe it's your turn to see to them, isn't it?"

Sango nodded as she got up. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see what's wrong. The twins are always a handful, aren't they?"

She left Miroku on the porch, alone. He could hear her asking them what was the matter, and smiled. His and Sango's twins, a boy and a girl, looked as if they were going to be as adventurous and strong-willed as their parents, if not more so, and they were still only three going on four.

Even though Miroku was by himself on the veranda, he couldn't go back to reading. He began to wonder just where Inuyasha was these days...

...

Kagome and Sakura had been walking along the path for a while. Since she didn't need any memories to upset her again, Kagome had managed to avoid the tree where she had first met Inuyasha. Soon Sakura had begun to look tired, so Kagome had started back.

Sakura wanted to be carried so Kagome pick her up. The last six years had made Kagome look more like an adult, but thinner than she had been before.

As the pair of them exited the woods, she heard a cat's voice. "Geez, Buyo, even when you get old, you still get into trouble. Where're you this time?"

Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Mommy, who're you talking to?"

"No one, dear. But before we go back inside, is it okay to find Buyo? I'm not sure what he's done this time."

Kagome felt Sakura nod, and then listened carefully to the sound of the cat's voice. He was to the left...Kagome found herself standing in front of the shrine that housed the Bone-eater's Well. Hadn't this happened before, Kagome thought to herself. _'Well, no choice but to go in. I haven't been back here in nearly a year. Only on Sakura's birthday do I come here and try to go back...to see him.'_

She opened the doors and brought Sakura inside with her. Kagome wasn't going to take the chance of being separated from her daughter if the well did indeed work. But she stays Sakura down, much to her protest.

Kagome listened, and from inside the well she heard Buyo's cries. She was about ready to ask aloud how he had gotten in there when she noticed one of the boards on top of the well. It was pushed aside just enough to have a cat to get through.

"Well, we're going to have to go in. I want you near me, okay, Sakura? I don't want you standing here by yourself."

"I know, I know. You've said it before, Mommy."

Kagome moved the boards aside. Why did she have a strange feeling about this? Every other time she had tried to go back to the Warring States Period, the well had remained nothing but a usual, dried-up well.

After getting the boards off of the top, she stooped down and motioned for Sakura to get on her back.

Kagome carefully crawled down the rope ladder, reaching the bottom. She was about to pick up Buyo when a nostalgic light surrounded her. She could feel herself falling down. Kagome managed to get Sakura off of her back, and hugged her close to her body. She wasn't going to lose Sakura for anything. Was she really going back? Would she get to see Inuyasha again? All she could do was wait until she reached the other side..

...

**The End of chapter One.**

**Please review. Thank You! And I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Have a great weekend!**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Sorry this is later than I wanted it to be. **_

_**Chapter Two: Familiar Faces**_

"Mama, mama, hurry up! You promised me and Shinhaku we could ride on Kirara!" Yumemi continued to tug at Sango's kimono even after she had finished her whining plea.

On the other side of Sango was her other child, her son Shinhaku. "Mama! Hurry up! We want to go now!"

Sango dried her hands, took her two children by the hands, and started for the door. "Alright, alright. First you wanted to eat, then you didn't want to help Papa and me with cleaning up, and now you want to ride Kirara. Is there anything else you want?"

Miroku smiled as he saw his family heading for the door. He walked over to the door, to see them off. It was a treat for the kids whenever Sango gave in to letting them ride Kirara. He had to admit that ever since Sango had given birth to the twins she had become a bit more subdued in her ways. The fire was still there, which if it ever went out he didn't know what he would do, but motherhood seemed to suit her more than he would have thought. At least she didn't think of her dead, younger brother, Kohaku, very often these days. He had been more than willing to let Sango name their son, Shinhaku, after him.

He made it outside, and then said, "Shinhaku, Yumemi, please be good for your mother. I don't want anything happening to you. Do you understand?"

Yumemi and Shinhaku nodded. Miroku then crouched down, and the two children ran to give him a hug. "We'll be good, Papa."

"Yeah, we won't give Mama or Kirara any problems. And we can tell you all about it later."

Miroku ruffled the hair of each child before turning them towards their mother. "All right then, have fun. Sango, please don't be too daring and be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you, either."

Sango strode over to Miroku and gave him a grin. "Me? Daring? Now, I never do that. Anyways, the kid's be fine. I'll try to get back before the moon rises, okay? Until then, stay out of trouble."

She gave him a kiss goodbye, and then she helped Yumemi and Shinhaku mount Kirara. The three of them waved goodbye to Miroku as they started for the nearby forest.

...

Sakura woke up and rubbed her eyes. She remembered a strange light surrounding her and her mommy, but she didn't remember what happened after that. After she opened her eyes, she found her mommy next to her, looking as if she was sleeping peacefully. "She must be taking a nap. Mommy did look tired before."

She then stood up, and took a better look around her. The woods were like the woods near her home, but when she had almost turned a complete circle, she stopped. There was an old wooden well. "It looks like the one at home. Why is it outside? Where did we go?"  
Sakura sat back down, next to her mommy's side. "Mommy? Mommy? Are you asleep?"

After Sakura had pushed Kagome's bangs to the side, she saw that her mommy's brows rose, and knitted together, as if in frustration. She had to be asleep, Sakura thought to herself.

Sakura was about to make herself more comfortable when she heard a sound off to the side. She looked up and saw a cute little animal. She wasn't sure what it was, but it looked a little like Buyo. [_Well, I don't know how long Mommy's going to sleep. I'll just go and pet it. I'll come back before she wakes up. I go into the woods all the time by myself. I'm a big girl and can take care of myself._]

Giving herself a self-assured nod, Sakura stood up and slowly crept towards the cute cat-like creature. Just as she got near it, it dashed a few feet away. Sakura came close again, and this time it started walking away from the well. Not realizing how far into the woods she was going, Sakura continued to follow it. She was only thinking of reaching the animal, and of nothing else. It was still daylight out, so she wasn't afraid of anything.

...

Kagome scrunched her hands up, and felt the grass underneath her. Where...then she remembered. She had gone inside the well in order to get Buyo, but instead, that light had surrounded her and Sakura. She had managed to get them both out of the well, but after that, Kagome didn't remember anything.

She sat up, rubbing her forehead, and then opened her eyes. Sakura was gone. "Where is she? Sakura? Sakura!"  
Kagome jumped to her feet, and looked all around the well. Sakura was nowhere to be found. This made Kagome a little scared.

"Sakura, where could you go? You know you shouldn't run off by yourself..."

[_Of course she probably thinks that this is just the wood next to our home. If she only knew how dangerous it could be. I have to find her! She's my life, and if anything happens to her...no, don't think like that Kagome. When people think negative thoughts, they tend to happen. She'll be fine._]

Kagome noticed some broken branches on a bush, and started in that direction. It was the only clue she had to go by, and she hoped it would be the right way. If this was the Warring States Period, Kagome knew that this country was huge, and trying to find someone was hard to do.

She was just about to bend down to look at another seemingly broken branch when Kagome felt a sudden pain on the back of her head. As she started to lose consciousness, she felt someone catch her before she fell to the ground.

...

The sky was beginning to dim when Sango contemplated going home or not. Having children in the woods in the dark was not the safest place to have them.

Kirara paused as Sango stroked behind her ear and then Sango turned her head over her shoulder. She was about to tell Shinhaku and Yumemi that it was time to go home when her ears picked up a faint sound. Even though Sango had become a mother and a wife, she still had her Demon Hunter instincts. It sounded like...a child crying.

"Kirara, look after Shinhaku and Yumemi." She paused to see Kirara nod before she continued, "Yumemi, Shinhaku, I want you two to stay here. I think I hear something, so I'm going to go and check it out. If you two aren't here when I get back, you don't want to know the punishment you'll get. Understood?"

She saw them both nod. At that signal, Sango started toward the sound. It couldn't be more than 100 feet away. She was careful not to make a sound just in case this was some kind of trap. When she was near the source, she stopped and managed to look from behind a tree; it was indeed a child crying.

Sango approached the child. She was adorable, with baby pink and raven hair, and certain cheerfulness about her face that looked familiar. "Are you okay dear? Are you lost?"

The girl stopped crying to look at the woman in front of her. She didn't look like a bad person, but she remembered what her mommy had told her about strangers, so she kept quiet.

Sango took a step closer. Why was she feeling the faintest hint of a demon nearby? She quickly surveyed the surroundings and didn't see anything in the surrounding area. She crouched so that she was at the little girl's eye level. "What's your name? I'm Sango. Don't worry. I won't hurt you. If you're lost, I can take you home and then we can look for your parents. I have two children near your age, and I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you. How about it?"

After Sango put a hand out, the little girl decided that this lady was a good person. She didn't know why she thought that, but she trusted her instincts. "My name's Sakura."

"Sakura? What a pretty name. Are you hungry? I don't live far from here."

Sakura nodded, and because it had started to become dark and she was filling with fear, Sakura jumped into Sango's chest, and hugged her tight. "I want my mommy. And I'm hungry and tired. I just wanted to pet the cute animal, but I got lost..."

Sango smiled. So the girl had been with her mother. Sango didn't want to take Sakura far from here, but she needed to get her own kids home before she could go looking for Sakura's mother.

Sango picked Sakura up, and started walking back to where she had left Kirara. Sakura kept mumbling about being sleepy, and by the time Sango returned to where her children and Kirara were, Sakura had fallen asleep. Sango smiled at the little girl. Her face was so pleasant, and yet so familiar. Maybe Sango had met the child's mother.

Shinhaku and Yumemi looked about ready to burst with a million questions after their mama returned with the little girl. Sango shushed them. "I'll tell you after we get home. She's asleep and I don't want to wake her up."

Sango arrived home just after the sun had set completely. She called to Miroku, "Miroku! Come help me! You won't believe what I found and what happened!"

Miroku walked out of the doorway, with a face full of relief. "Sango. Thank goodness you came home. I was beginning to worry. I have news as well. Inuyasha came back. He has just gone out for a walk, and said he'll come back soon. He didn't say much, but I was glad he was still alive and well. As well as he could be anyway."

It was then that Miroku took notice of the child in Sango's arms. He took a step forward to get a closer look. "A child? Where did she come from?"

"Yes, a child. That's why I had shouted at you. Anyway, I found her lost and crying in the woods, so I brought her home. After she sleeps and has something to eat I'm going to look for her mother. It's been bugging me the whole way home...Miroku, does her face seem familiar to you? I can't quite place it..."

Miroku brushed the hair from the little girl's face. She did seem familiar. Just like... _No, it couldn't be. Kagome? It has to be me just imagining things. Kagome has been long gone..._

Rather than get Sango's imagination going, Miroku decided not to say anything about his guess. "I don't know. Anyway, please come in, all of you. It's becoming dark and late. Besides, pretty soon Inuyasha should be back."

He then took the hand of each of his children, and said directly to them. "I guess you guys want to go to bed and not wait up for Uncle Inuyasha, right? I know you don't want to seem him..."

"Papa! We haven't seen him in so long! Please let us stay up!" Yumemi had started whining, in her sweet whiney voice and it usually worked when it came to her papa.

"Yeah, papa! Besides, riding Kirara has made us wide-awake! We aren't tired!" Shinhaku's method of whining included tugging Miroku's hand several times.

Miroku chuckled to himself. "Don't worry. I'll let you stay up. Right, Sango?"

Sango smiled, and nodded. She couldn't help but smile when she looked at her family. Hugging Sakura tighter, trying not to think of how worried the girl's mother had to be, she replied. "Of course. Besides, you guys need something to eat. I'm starving, and I want to eat! Let's go inside!"

She nudged Miroku forward, and they all headed inside.

...

Inuyasha had hoped that Sango, Miroku and their children would've all been home. He hadn't been feeling as optimistic as he could have lately and he had delayed coming back solely because he was starting to doubt if Kagome would ever come back. The moment he had noticed she was gone while he was still in the well, in the Warring States Period, Inuyasha had felt a pain in his heart. He had tried several times to go back, but for some reason, it seemed that neither him or Kagome could use the Bone-eater's Well anymore.

Rather than stay and live near Miroku and Sango, later their children as well, he had gone on a mission. He used to think that there had to be some way to get to Kagome again. She had promised him that she wouldn't leave him alone, ever. Inuyasha knew that Kagome would never intentionally break that promise, but it had been lonelier than he had ever known for nearly six years. If it weren't for his friends, Inuyasha would have probably become some kind of hermit, living by himself, always avoiding people.

"But Inuyasha. You do have your friends. So snap out of it. It's about time to head back, anyway. Sango knows better than to keep her kids out in the dark." He said to himself.

Inuyasha started back. He did look forward to seeing Sango, Miroku, and their two children. Inuyasha had always wondered if Kagome and he would have had children by now and what would they have looked like? As his head filled with dreams and fantasies, he headed back for Sango and Miroku's home.

...

Sango was just about ready to wake Sakura up for a meal when she felt a presence nearby. She recognized who it was, and decided to let Sakura sleep. She wasn't sure how the little girl would react to seeing a demon, even if he were only a half demon.

"Inuyasha, come in already! It's been so long!" Sango stood up and strode to the door. Sure enough, Inuyasha was only a few feet from it.

"Sango. Glad you got back before dark. How've you been?" Inuyasha took a step into the hut when he stopped dead in his tracks. That scent. Why did it smell faintly of Kagome? And why did it smell faintly of another demon?

"Sango, have you checked the surroundings? It smells like a demon nearby." He turned towards the yard out front, and looked quickly around with his eyes, but he didn't see anything. It felt more like the scent was coming from inside the hut.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? I've checked, like I do every night. There's no one but you here. Why are you so paranoid? Your face looks pale as well. Is anything wrong?"

"I don't know." He took a few steps into the house before continuing. "It's not only the scent of another demon. It-it smells faintly of...Kagome."

"Kagome?" Sango's eyes widened as she realized something. She turned towards Sakura, to find the girl had woken up and was staring at Inuyasha.

"Sango, who's the funny looking guy? Why does he have dog ears?" Being in the innocence of youth allowed Sakura to be able to say whatever she wanted to, not caring how it might be interpreted.

Inuyasha looked at the girl. "Who's the girl, Sango? Where'd she come from?"

"Um, I found her lost in the woods. Inuyasha, a favor? Could you watch her for a second? I need to tell Miroku something important. Don't worry, Yumemi and Shinhaku are in their room for the moment. Her name's Sakura. Thanks." Sango took a hold of Miroku's hand and dragged him outside.

Inuyasha took on a puzzled look as Sango and Miroku left the hut. What was it that she had to do at this exact second? He then turned towards the little girl. He was actually good with kids and he hoped this little girl wouldn't find him scary because of his appearance.

"Sakura, huh? My name's Inuyasha." As he sat down next to her, the faint scent of Kagome grew stronger. Why did this little girl smell of Kagome? No way...Kagome couldn't have married, had children, and somehow one of them had found their way here via the well? No way...Kagome couldn't have found someone else to love that easily, could she? He couldn't believe it...

Miroku rubbed his hand after Sango had let go of it. "Ow, why did you do that all of the sudden?"

"Miroku, now's not the time to get me started. That girl. Doesn't she look like Kagome? Her face, it's a bit younger, but it looks like her, I swear."

Miroku sighed. So she had guessed the same as he. "I thought as much. But why would Kagome's child be here? Where's Kagome? She wouldn't leave her daughter running free in this place."

Sango crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. But when Inuyasha said he smelt a faint scent of Kagome, that's what made me think of it. Besides, the girl said she was with her mother. What if Kagome did come back? Where is she? She should remember these woods, and would have come to see if Kaede still lived here. Even though Kaede passed away last year, she would have found us instead. I'm beginning to worry..."

Miroku took a step toward his wife, and put a comforting arm over her shoulders. "In the morning let's look for her. We might be able to find the answers to our questions by asking Sakura herself. She may be a child, but she can speak and answer questions. Let's try that, and see where we go from there. Okay?"

Sango gave a weak smile and nodded. "Tomorrow. For now, let's try to see what Sakura knows. Most kids don't know the name of their parents at that age, but maybe Sakura knows her last name? Unless Kagome had married and changed her name, it would be the same..."

The pair of them started back for the hut.

_**End of chapter two. **_

_**What do you think of it?**_

_**Please Review. Thank you. And the next chapter won't be up till next weekend. **_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for such a long wait. Been really busy lately. Had some family time I need to be part of. **_

_**Again sorry and hope you all enjoy!**_

_**...**_

_**Chapter Three: Kagome's Daughter**_

Inuyasha stared at the girl's face for about a minute before his thoughts began to wander. _[She has to be Kagome's daughter. Who else would have that sweet, yet wild scent about her? And her face? It looks like her, but younger. But still, why is the scent of a demon nearby? I really don't know what to think...] _

As Sakura stared at Inuyasha, she couldn't help but ask him some of her questions. "Inuyasha, why do you have doggie ears? You're teeth are pointy too. I never saw a boy with long nails. Can I touch your ears?"

Inuyasha smiled at the little girl's conduct. She kept asking him questions, and realized that she must to be from the other side of the well. Kids in this day and age knew about demons, and wouldn't ask these kinds of questions.

He slightly lowered his head before he said, "Go ahead. No one's asked to do that for a long time."

Sakura's eyes gleamed with delight. "Really? It's okay?"

As she gave his ears a few tweaks, Inuyasha decided to casually ask Sakura a few questions. He might be able to find out some more information if he did that. "I remember when a girl named Higurashi Kagome asked the same question. She lived in a shrine, and found her way to my world using a well. Have you heard this story before? It's a little bit famous around here. A story people tell to their kids."

"Hm, I don't know that story, but my home is the Higurashi shrine! Does it mean that I can be like the girl in the story? Mommy always told me not believe what I hear, but I always want to be the girl in the story!"

Inuyasha was about to reply when Sango and Miroku walked back in. They looked like they had talked about something somewhat important, but he couldn't be sure.

Before Sango said a word, she noticed that Sakura looked like she was enjoying herself, and Sango was relieved that she got along well with Inuyasha.

"Sango? Miroku? What's with the serious faces? And why did you have to 'talk' all the sudden? What's that suppose to mean? You know how much I don't like secrets..."

"Calm down Inuyasha. We'll tell you soon. First, why don't you put Sakura to bed with Yumemi and Shinhaku? Say goodnight to them all first. The kids have been waiting for a long time to see you again. Okay?" Sango had entered into her stern mode.

"Alright, alright. I'll go. Geez." Inuyasha turned back to Sakura and his face grew gentle again. "How 'bout it? It's time for bed..."  
Sakura usually fought to stay up longer, but because she was really tired tonight, she didn't bother. But she did have a condition. She smiled and said in a very sweet voice, "Inuyasha, I'll go to bed if you let me go piggy back!"

"Piggy back?" His face went blank. This wasn't a word he had heard before.

"You know, when you carry me on your back." Sakura began to wonder why Inuyasha didn't know what piggy back meant...all adults were suppose to know what that meant.

"Okay, gotcha." Inuyasha stooped down, and Sakura climbed on his back. As he stood up, Inuyasha got a nostalgic feeling. Because Sakura was of the same blood as Kagome, he was sure of it, to him it felt like the old days when he used to carry Kagome on his back.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Sakura gave a smile giggle, and held on tight. Maybe this was what having a daddy felt like, she thought to herself.

"Alright!" Inuyasha raced for Shinhaku and Yumemi's room.

Sango and Miroku were able to tell when he reached the children's room by the squeals of joy given by all three children.  
Miroku smiled, and looked to Sango. "Who would have known that our attitude filled half demon would be so good with children?"

"Yeah. But he still can be a pain when it comes to adults. He acts like he's still a teenager a lot of the times..."

...

Kagome had started to regain consciousness. She rolled over and tried to open her eyes. It wasn't that bright where she was being kept, and so soon she was able to open her eyes fully. She was able to tell that she was in some kind of room, but it wasn't a normal room, but rather it looked like she was inside of a cave.

"Where am I?" She asked to herself.

Kagome stood up and as soon as she did so, she felt a pain in her head. Someone had hit her from behind, and she still felt it._ I wonder how long I was out for? What happened...wait a second, what happened to Sakura?_

She frantically looked around the room until Kagome found the door. She raced to it to find it locked. Whoever had put her in here had had no intention of letting her escape so easily.

"Damn. Why does this kind of stuff ALWAYS happen to me? Honestly, I must be cursed! My daughter's off who knows where, and who knows what has happened to her!"

Rather than become frightened, Kagome became more and more pissed off. People always kidnapped her or hurt her friends or stole the things that belonged to her. This time, however, Kagome wasn't going to be some whimpering lady in distress. She wanted to get out of this cave-room, and was going to try anything she could to get out.

Just as Kagome was thinking of how she could bust the door open, she heard a knock on the door. She waited, and her eyes widened in recognition when she saw who opened the door.

...

Inuyasha finally crept out of the kids' bedroom. It had taken longer than he had thought for them to fall asleep. They really had been eager to see him again, and since one of Inuyasha's greatest weaknesses was children, well, he had been nearly powerless to do anything but what they expected of him. But now, Inuyasha slid the door shut. He then headed back towards the main room where Sango and Miroku would be waiting.

It didn't take long for him to reach them, and as soon as he did, he said, "Alright, what were you guys talking' about? And you know if you lie, I can tell."

Inuyasha put his hands inside of his sleeves, and stood waiting.

Miroku looked to Sango before he spoke up. "Well, actually, we were talking about Sakura."

"The girl?"

"Yes, and you know her name. We think she's...Kagome's daughter. But, we don't know why she's here. I found her in the woods, and she said she had been separated from her mommy. So...it makes me wonder what has happened to Kagome. She wouldn't be in this time without coming to see us. I know she wouldn't." Sango furrowed her brows a bit, and started to feel concerned once again.

"That? I had guessed that Sakura was Kagome's daughter a while ago. But I didn't know about Sakura being here with her mother." Inuyasha's face had softened and showed concern. Just where was Kagome? Not only did he long to see her, but he had so many unanswered questions he wanted to ask her.

Sango walked over and put a comforting hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Tomorrow I'm going to look for Sakura's mother. You are more than welcome to come along if you want."

Inuyasha looked at Sango, sighed, and then said, "I don't know. Right now I just want to have some space. I'm going to take a walk."

Without another word Inuyasha quickly headed for the door. Once he was outside again, he looked to the nearly full moon. The moon always seemed to calm him down enough to let him collect his thoughts. The moon was a funny thing. Sometimes it was his enemy, and turned him into a useless human for a night, and yet other times, it helped him to keep his sanity.

Tonight the moon was going to be his confidant. "Kagome...how could you have a daughter? It should be our daughter in there, sleeping with Sango and Miroku's children. Why didn't you wait for me?"

At that moment Inuyasha remembered something, and punched the nearest tree. Hard. "It better not be that stupid, pretty boy from before. Houjou or something? If you settled for him..."

Suddenly Inuyasha slumped against the tree he had just punched and let out a sigh. "Of course I couldn't expect you to wait for me. All this time..."

...

"Sesshoumaru. It's been a long time." Kagome said with bitterness in her voice.

"So nice of you to remember Sesshoumaru. But I'm afraid I didn't come to chat with you. I must say I was surprised to find you in the woods today, but you may have your uses." He crossed the distance, and put his finger under Kagome's chin, lifting her face.  
She slapped his finger away. "Do NOT touch me. Even if you are Inuyasha's half-brother, I can never forgive you for what you have done."

Sesshoumaru overlooked what Kagome did, and strolled to observe the nearest painting on the wall. "Ah, Inuyasha. A name I haven't heard in awhile. Of course when you are a useless half-whelp, and dead at that, people tend to forget to mention worms like my half-brother."

Kagome's face went white. She didn't know if she should believe Sesshoumaru or not. But if he was right, then that could explain everything...

Sesshoumaru gave an evil grin to himself. If what he thought was correct, then this Kagome girl knew nothing of the what was currently happening in the Warring Time Period. Only because Sesshoumaru knew about the little curse Kikyou had put on the Bone-Eater's Well did he know Inuyasha and Kagome had been separated for a long period of time.

He turned back towards the human woman. Sesshoumaru still detested the stench of humans, but because of having Rin around all the time, he had learned to tolerate it.

"I see from your silence that you didn't know about this? Such a pity..." He gave a slightly evil chuckle to himself.

"Liar! I would know if Inuyasha was dead!" Kagome was trying to keep her composure. She did not want to be weak in front of Sesshoumaru. Besides, she needed to figure a way to get out of this place; Sakura would be waiting for her somewhere. No matter what Sesshoumaru said, Sakura was the most important person to her. If Sakura was to disappear from her life too, Kagome didn't know what she would do.

"Humph. Would you now? Then where is he? Even if his sense of smell is inferior to Sesshoumaru, he should still be able to pick up your scent. My dear human weakling, where is your precious Inuyasha? I'm sure you don't even know why you two were separated in the first place, now do you?" Sesshoumaru wished to convince Kagome of his lies, and it seemed like it had begun to work.

"H-how did you know about that?" Kagome began to worry. She had imagined every kind of possibility that could have happened to Inuyasha over the last five years, and the fear she had gotten over was slowly creeping back.

"Sesshoumaru knows a lot more than you think. Just like I know that brat of yours is also my niece."

"How did you KNOW THAT?" Kagome had now lost all the courage she had previously held.

"Hm, hm, I told you, Sesshoumaru knows a lot of things. Not only does she reek of you and that worm of a half-brother, but I can pick up the faintest scent of demon blood. She may only be one-fourth demon, but that is enough blood to make her useful to me."

He waited to see how the human would react.

Kagome got right in Sesshoumaru's face. "If you EVER lay a HAND on her, I'll, I'll..."

"You'll what? I think you forget your place sometimes, human. However, if you cooperate with me, I will leave your precious daughter alone. But if you betray me, then I may just have a use for her..."

Kagome was faced with an internal conflict. Sesshoumaru was not a demon you wanted to work with, but she needed to protect Sakura. Maybe if she agreed long enough to find a way to get both her and Sakura back to safety...she just might be able to do that. Only long enough to figure a way to trick him would she try to obey Sesshoumaru.

"What would I have to do?"

...

**And that is the end of chapter three. Hope it was still good.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been busy with family stuff and getting over a cold. Hopefully I'll have more time again and could posted more. **

…

_**Chapter Four: Embroidered Crescent Moon Bands**_

As the sun crept threw the window, Sakura slowly opened her eyes. After she looked in their direction, she could tell that Shinhaku and Yumemi were still asleep. Slowly she crept out of bed, and headed for the door. Being in a new place always caused her to wake up early.

Sakura rubbed her eyes while she walked to the living area. When she reached the living area, she was surprised to see Inuyasha sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Morning, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked up to see a still sleepy-looking Sakura. Even if she wasn't Kagome, he had had to admit to himself that it was good to breathe in a scent so much like Kagome's. "Hey, Sakura. Your up early."

She plopped herself down next to Inuyasha. "I can't sleep in strange places. The sun woke me up too."

Sakura looked up at Inuyasha. Since she continued to do so for the next few minutes, Inuyasha begun to feel a little uncomfortable. Why was she staring at him? He wasn't that interesting to look at, was he?

"Hey, whatcha looking' at?"

"I don't know. Don't you ever get the feeling that you've met someone before?" Sakura's feelings were especially strong this morning. She knew that she had definitely never met a person like Inuyasha before, but she felt she had some kind of connection with him.

"Never really thought about it before."

Another small silence filled the room. This time it was Inuyasha who decided to break the silence.

"So, Sakura, you told me about your mom, but what about your dad?" Inuyasha knew that the answer would probably break his heart even more, but he had to know. Anything he could find out about Kagome...  
Sakura's face held no expression. "Well, I don't know about him. I never asked about him, and I've never met him. Grandma, Great-Grandpa and Uncle Souta were always around, so they helped mommy take care of me."  
Inuyasha didn't know how to react to this answer. Sakura had no father? What had happened during the last five and some years? From his few conversations with this little girl he knew without a doubt that she was Kagome's daughter. But as for the father, who...?

As a smile crept onto her face, Sakura said, "But you can be my daddy, Inuyasha. You're so fun to be around! Can I ride piggyback again? But this time can we go fast?"

Children did have short attention spans, Inuyasha thought to himself. But what she said was what he wished was really true. That being he was Sakura's father. "I don't know if I can be your daddy, but I can pretend for a little while."

He stooped down, and motioned for Sakura to get on his back. "Now, are you ready for a real ride?"

Sakura nodded, and Inuyasha went out the door, and started taking giant leaps into the air. If Kagome knew what he was doing now, he knew she'd be scolding him for being so careless.

**…**

Kagome tried to keep an emotionless face. She would never give Sesshoumaru the pleasure of seeing her in real discomfort again. She had been surprised when he had talked about Sakura before, but now she silently vowed to make herself as emotionless as possible. If she did that, the less chance Sesshoumaru had for pleasure from her own worry and suffering. She now wondered why Sesshoumaru wanted her cooperation in the first place. He had belittled humans so often that Kagome was still surprised that she wasn't dead yet. If Inuyasha were dead...as much as she didn't want to think about it, Kagome needed to accept any possibility open to her. If it were true, then why would Sesshoumaru give a damn about her?  
As if he knew she was thinking about him, Sesshoumaru returned to the place where Kagome was sitting. He had gone to the shelf built into the wall on the far side of the room, and was heading back towards her. Kagome tried to see what it was that he was holding.

"Ah, the curious one. Believe me, you shall find out what I have soon enough." Sesshoumaru sat himself down in a chair across from Kagome. "Even though you have already agreed to cooperate with me, I never overlook an option. I am familiar with your strong will and in order to prevent you from turning on me, you will wear these."

Sesshoumaru opened his hands to reveal what it was he had retrieved from the shelf. Two light blue bands embroidered with silver crescent moons lay in his hands. "You may put them on yourself, or I will do it for you."

Rather than have him touch her again, Kagome took the bands from his hands, and made her hands steady as she put them on. As soon as she had slid them to her upper arms, Kagome felt her body heat up. "What the...?"

"Hm, hm, these are my tokens of protection. For a mere human, sometimes you can be clever. Rather than have you try to outsmart me or try to escape my grasp, these bands will be of great use to me. Inside of the bands is a small amount of poison from my claws. If I so wish it, a minute amount of poison will be released, and your skin will absorb it. For a short time you will be under my complete control, unable to control your own body." Sesshoumaru gave himself an evil chuckle. "Of course, while your body will not be in your control, you will be able to see everything, remember everything, as if you were a spectator from afar. In other words, you are under my complete control."

Kagome kept her face emotionless, but in her mind, she wondered how she was going to get out of this one. If what he said was true, she was no more than a servant of Sesshoumaru. What had she gotten herself into? But no, she would figure a way to get out of this, no matter what it cost her. Sakura burned bright in her mind, and that was what mattered to her.

**…**

Sesshoumaru looked from the window to gaze at the crystalline lake below his castle. His castle was built into the side of the mountain. Anything that had found its way into his castle never found its way out again. Because of Inuyasha and his Tessaiga, Sesshoumaru's power had been sealed so that it was not much more powerful than that of his worm of a half-brother. Nor would Sesshoumaru ever forgive his father since his own father had given Inuyasha the power to seal Sesshoumaru's. Father had not trusted him from birth, and Sesshoumaru looked for a way to get back at all of them.

This time he had that girl, Kagome, and he could use her to get back at Inuyasha. .

Later, he would take Inuyasha's daughter for his own. Rin was nearly an adult, of whom he did looked forward to, but Rin was still merely a human. However, the daughter of Inuyasha would have some power. If Sesshoumaru could train that brat and her power for his own purposes...

**…**

Kagome's thoughts were filled of Sakura. She wished with all her heart that her daughter was safe. She had never heard of anyone with a quarter demon blood being hunted before, or even "sensed", like how Sango was able to do. It then occurred to her that her friends Sango and Miroku were most likely still alive and well. Kagome had no idea of where they would be, but if they had stayed near Kaede's village, then they could have found Sakura in the woods. It was a very small hope, but it gave Kagome a little bit of comfort knowing that at least one possibility she had come up with was in her favor.

Because Kagome had been preoccupied with her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed the door starting to open. Only after it was completely open did she take notice of who came through the door. Sesshoumaru stood before her.  
"What do you want?"

"Human, I think you should ask me what I want you to do, not the other way around."  
The evil chill in his voice made Kagome shiver slightly. With much effort and restraint of her strong, stubborn will, she muttered,

"What do you want me to do?"

"That is more like it."

Kagome started to get a sick feeling in her stomach. If only Inuyasha were still alive...

**…**

Inuyasha and Sakura had returned to Sango and Miroku's hut a few minutes ago. As soon as they had come home, Sango had taken Sakura to the kitchen to get some breakfast. She kept mumbling something about Inuyasha needing to learn how to take care of children. Feeding them was important. Or at least that's what Inuyasha had made out.

He had left Sango to Sakura's breakfast, and now sat in the living area with Miroku. Inuyasha had no subtle way of bringing it up, so he blurted it out. "Sakura said she has no dad and she doesn't know anything about him. What does that mean, Miroku?"

The monk's eyes had narrowed a little in thought. "Well...it could have several meanings. But..." At that moment Miroku came to a realization. "Do you know Sakura's age, by chance?"

"Age? No, why?" Inuyasha was trying to make the connection Miroku had, but was failing to do so.

"Wait here. I'll be back shortly."

Miroku went to the kitchen, and just as he had thought, Sango was there. She should be able to answer his question.  
"Sango, dear, may I ask you a question?"

A little surprised by Miroku's abrupt appearance, she merely nodded her head.

He took a step closer to whisper something into her ear. "What is Sakura's age? Do you know?"  
Sango was a little puzzled by Miroku's question, but she answered anyway. "Well, she said that she's almost five. Why?"

"I'll tell you soon, I promise. Right now I'm trying to see if a guess I have is correct or not. I'll tell you later."  
Miroku left Sango with those words and returned to the living area. Inuyasha was still sitting on the floor, near the door.

"Did you find out?"

"Yes. Sango told me. I think you and I need to take a walk. I have a few questions for you too."

The look on Miroku's face was enough to convince Inuyasha that he should follow the monk. Though why he thought this way, Inuyasha didn't know. True he had learned to drop a lot of his "masculine act" since he had started to grow older and more mature, but Inuyasha was still Inuyasha.

Once they were outside, Miroku began to talk again. "Inuyasha, I have a question for you, as I said before. Before I ask it, please don't get angry at what I ask. I'm no longer the lecherous man I used to be."

Inuyasha's face had gone blank. What the hell was Miroku talking about? "Uh, yeah."

"Alright. Before you and Kagome jumped together into the Bone-Eater's well all those years ago, did anything...happen?"

"Happen? Whatcha mean by that?"

Miroku cleared his throat a bit before replying. "Well, did you and Kagome spend some precious moments together?"

"Precious moments? What the hell are you talking' about? We had lots precious moments. Ask simple questions and forget about the damn pretty talk."

Miroku could tell that Inuyasha was losing his temper over nothing. At least it was good to see Inuyasha acting more like himself, Miroku noted to himself.

"Okay, in basic terms, did you and Kagome have sex before you two jumped into the well?"

"Sex? Whatcha asking that for? What's that got to do with anything?" Inuyasha was not one to publicly talk about his private life, especially when it came to his sex life. Despite his masculine appearance, he had had sex only once in his life.

"So I interpret your reactions as yes? It's really important that I know the truth. Please trust me Inuyasha."

Something about Miroku's face made Inuyasha realize he was serious. "Yeah, we did. Why? And you better have a damn good

explanation."

Miroku sighed. "Well, I can't say it's the truth, but with all the calculations I've done in my head, Sakura is just about the right age. I have a feeling Sakura is yours and Kagome's daughter."

…

**The end of chapter.**

**Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy.**


	6. Chapter 5

Sorry for this being so late. A lot is going on and I finally fine time to put up this chapter.

Hope you all enjoy this one too.

…

**Chapter Five: The Glowing Tessaiga**

…

Kagome was carefully watching Sesshoumaru as he came closer to her. How this demon was related to Inuyasha, Kagome had never quite figured out. They were completely different, not at all alike.

Sesshoumaru stopped inches in front of Kagome. He towered over her, and so Kagome had had to look up to see his face. "Human, you were a nuisance to me many times. I don't remember how many times you interrupted the battles I had with Inuyasha. You use emotions rather than your head in a fight. But I assure you, this time, emotions are sure to get you nowhere."

He paused long enough to trail his finger down Kagome's cheek, place it under her chin, and tilt her head towards him. He saw anger mixed with fear in her eyes. Good, he thought to himself.

Kagome managed to calmly say, "What is it that you came for? I never agreed to be some kind of companion for your loneliness or whatever. I still own myself and my thoughts."

Sesshoumaru nearly chuckled to himself. This was so much more amusing with a strong willed human. Usually humans cowered before him and begged for their lives. Yes, this was different for him.

"I'm not sure you will enjoy hearing the reason I came. So..."

Sesshoumaru forced a kiss on Kagome. He managed to force his tongue past her lips as well. He hadn't kissed this human because of how good she would taste. Humans in general were rather revolting, but he did enjoy her reaction. Humph, this would be fun.

Especially when he could finally use all of this against his lowly half-brother.

Kagome had not expected Sesshoumaru to kiss her. The instant she felt his tongue in her mouth, she tried to bite him. This was definitely not how she wanted her life at the moment. Sesshoumaru was the most disgusting, man, no, demon male she had ever known.

When Kagome tried to bite his tongue, Sesshoumaru shoved her away from him. As she hit the floor he said, "Watch what you do. If you are concerned at all about your daughter's safety."

Sesshoumaru turned and left the room.

After Sesshoumaru had left the room, Kagome let her guard down, and let her emotions flow. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

"Sakura...please know your mommy cares about you. I'm going to find a way to you soon, I promise." Kagome then laid her head over her arms, on the top of her bed, and softly started to cry. "Inuyasha..."

…

It was a rare occasion for Inuyasha. He had nothing to say, and merely stood staring at Miroku.

"Inuyasha. Please consider the facts. Sakura is nearly five years old. Given the average nine months for pregnancy, the time works out right. You said yourself that she smells of Kagome, and we've heard several things that tell us she is definitely Kagome's daughter. Sakura told you she has no father. Lastly, you and Kagome did have sex before the pair of you jumped into the well together. Unless you think Kagome is the type of person to sleep with anyone, meaning she would have had to do it right after she jumped into the well and was trapped in her world alone, what other options are there?"

Inuyasha had only listened to half of what Miroku had said. Sakura, his daughter? True that was what he wanted to be true, but was it? He could see his white hair and Kagome's bluish black hair producing a light, blue haired child. Yeah, he could see that. But that would mean that Sakura was a quarter demon. Why hadn't he noticed it in her scent before? Then it hit him.

"The night I met Sakura, I think I said I smelled a demon nearby, but Sango said she hadn't found any. Is that right?"

Miroku placed his fingers under his chin, a sign of slight concentration. "Now that you mention it, that sounds right, which would be yet another thing to support my conclusion. Is there a way to discover if Sakura has demon blood running through her veins? I'm not familiar with those types of things."

Inuyasha snorted. "As if we have a 'usual procedure' for these things. Most demons don't like to mate with humans anyways. Usually the greater demon's trying' to find out who has human blood in 'me. But...if Sakura's of my father's line, then I've got a way. If when she touches the Tessaiga it reacts, even a little, then we'll know the truth. Let's go and find out, Miroku."

Inuyasha began to run back towards the hut, with Miroku not far behind him. All Inuyasha could do was think about Sakura. If she was his and Kagome's daughter...but still, that left the problem of where Kagome was. She wouldn't leave her daughter running around the woods in this world, and what Sango had said earlier made sense. Kagome would have come to visit Kaede, even if she didn't know Kaede had died last year. [Kagome...if it's true and she's our daughter...please, I just want to have you near me again. It's been so lonely these past years...where're you at now?]

…

Sango was cleaning up after the breakfast mess when she felt someone tug at her kimono. Since both of her children had a habit of doing that, Sango looked down to see who it was. She was surprised to see Sakura standing there, about ready to cry.

She stooped down to Sakura's eye level. "What's wrong dear? You can tell me."

Sakura gave a sniffle before the tears started to run down her face. "My mommy," sniff, "I want to see her." Sniff, "Where's she at? Are you going to find her for me?" Sniff.

Sango couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the girl. She wiped away Sakura's tears with her hand. "Of course I'm going to find her. Once Inuyasha and Miroku come back, I promise we'll look for her okay?"

Sniff. "'Kay. But I still miss her so much!" Sakura buried her head in Sango's shoulder.

Stroking the girl's head, she heard noises that told her Miroku and Inuyasha were back. Still trying to calm Sakura down, she saw them walk into the kitchen. When Sango saw Inuyasha, she could tell something had transpired between the pair on their "walk."  
When Inuyasha walked into the kitchen, and saw Sakura there crying, a part of him wanted to reach out and stop her tears. If she was his daughter, then he never wanted to see her cry. There was so much he wanted to do for her.

"Welcome back, Miroku, Inuyasha."

After she heard their names, Sakura lifted her head, and wiped the tears from her face. She gave Miroku and Inuyasha a weak smile.

"Inuyasha, you came back." Sakura looked back to Sango. "Does that mean we can go now? Like you promised?"

Sango smiled and then nodded. "Of course." She looked to Miroku and Inuyasha, and after seeing a slightly confused look on each of their faces, Sango decided she should explain her promise to Sakura. "Well, I promised her we'd go and look for her mama after you two got back. You two ready?" As she spoke, Sango was already tying up her hair, in her old Demon Hunter fashion.  
Inuyasha exchanged looks with Miroku before he said, "Well, if you give me 'bout five minutes or so, I'll be ready to go." He looked to Sakura. "I have a question to ask you, Sakura. Is that okay?"

Sakura nodded her head. She'd do nearly anything Inuyasha would ask of her. After all, he had said that he would pretend to be her daddy for a little while.

"Okay, let's go outside first."

Inuyasha began walking towards the door, and Sakura followed. She wanted to reach up and take his hand, just like she always did with her mommy, but decided she shouldn't this time. Inuyasha had looked a little bit serious, and she didn't want to make him mad.  
After they had exited the door, Inuyasha soon stopped walking, and sat down on the ground. He motioned for Sakura to sit next to him. Sakura sat next to Inuyasha, and lifted her face to him.

"So, whatcha want to talk about?"

Since Inuyasha didn't know of a way to subtly bringing it up (being subtle was not a prominent characteristic of his), he merely put the Tessaiga in front of him and said, "Sakura, I have a favor to ask you. Lots people in my world have what you might think of as magic. If you have these special powers, then you usually end up living adventures like in those stories you love so much. I want to see if you have any powers or not. Just to make things safer for later on."

Inuyasha had had to improvise on that one. Although it wasn't technically the truth, he couldn't exactly blurt out to Sakura that he thought she really was his daughter and touching this sword would prove it to him. He awaited her reply.

A playful look reflected in Sakura's eyes. "What do I have to do?"

A bit of relief came over Inuyasha. He unsheathed the Tessaiga and laid it back onto the grass. He made sure the blade pointed away from Sakura, and that the hilt lay directly in front of her.

"I just watch to put your hand on the hilt of this sword. If the sword changes, even just a little, then it means you have some special powers. If you have 'me, after we find your mommy maybe I can show you how to use them"

Not knowing quite what this would all mean, Sakura laid her hand on the hilt of the sword. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Just as Sakura was about to take her hand away, the sword began to glow a little.

"Look Inuyasha! It's glowing! That's so cool! I haven't seen anything like this before!"

Inuyasha took his gaze from the sword and looked at the little girl's face. Her golden brown eyes were filled with amazement, and the two braids that contained her sky-blue hair hung over the front of her shoulders. This was what his and Kagome's child looked like. [She looks human...not a bit like a demon. But she IS mine and Kagome's kid. I wish I could tell you now, Sakura. But first, I think it's a better idea to find Kagome. I'm worried about her...]

As if Sakura could tell Inuyasha was staring at her, Sakura asked, "What?" "Nothing. You can let go of the sword now. We need to find your mommy, right?"

Sakura nodded as Inuyasha sheathed his sword.  
In a minute both of them stood up. Just as they were about to walk back to the house, Inuyasha felt a little hand in his. He looked down at Sakura. When her gaze met his, he gave a small smile. Something he hadn't done for a long time for the benefit of his own happiness.

The two went back in the house to find Sango and Miroku waiting. Sango spoke up. "I'm going with you, Inuyasha. Miroku's going to stay here to look after the kids."

Turning her gaze to Sakura, she said in a motherly tone of voice, "Sakura, I think you should stay here too. I promise to find your mommy, but I don't want any monsters hurting you. Alright?"

Sakura's face lost a little of it's cheerfulness, but she said anyway, "Okay...mommy's say the same thing. But I watch to find her fast! I want to see her..."

Sango laid a hand on top of the girl's head. "Of course we'll hurry. Also, while we're gone, you can be a big sister for Yumemi and Shinhaku, okay? I'll leave you in charge of them, and you can tell them I said so." Sango had had to do little deals with her children several times, and it seemed that if an incentive was offered, a child was more likely to obey and put up less resistance.

Because Sakura was an only child, to her this sounded like fun. She gave her head a big nod to let Sango know she understood her.  
Inuyasha was glad that Sakura was staying behind. Sango was good at getting children to do the things she wanted, and Inuyasha wondered if it was just a woman's instinct or something he'd be able to learn to do.

Instead of dwelling on these thoughts for too long, he let go of Sakura's hand and stooped down to her level. "Yeah, we'll bring your mommy home safe. Wait for us, okay?"

Sakura nodded, and Inuyasha gave her head a pat. He then said to Sango, "Ready Sango?"

Sango nodded her head in consent. But before heading for the door, she ran to give her kids a quick good-bye. Inuyasha took this time to comment to Miroku about Sango. "When'd she become so mother like?"

Miroku smiled. "She good at many things. More than just fighting, Inuyasha."

He nodded, and then asked Miroku something. "Would take care of Sakura for me?"

"Of course Inuyasha." Miroku then looked to Sakura. "We'll have a good time, won't we Sakura?"

"Of course!"

Before either man could say another word, Sango walked back into the room. "Okay, let's go Inuyasha. Kirara's outside, waiting already."

Inuyasha nodded, and the two of them headed for the door, with Sango picking up her Hiraikotsu as they passed through it. Kirara had already transformed and stood, waiting.

"First I'm going to take us back to the forest where I found Sakura. We can go from there, especially since you have a good sense of smell, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded. Kirara took to the air, and Inuyasha started taking great, leaping bounds in order to keep up. He needed to find Kagome; not only for himself, but for Sakura as well.

…

End of chapter five.

Hope to have another chapter up soon.


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